


Who Needs Romance?

by steorra (meraki_saki)



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 03:45:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15922223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meraki_saki/pseuds/steorra
Summary: Admittedly, Ophilia never thought of romance. That is until she met Therion.





	Who Needs Romance?

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure about our dear cleric, but I definitely want that romance for her haha

**Who Needs Romance?**

"I heard some priests make a vow of celibacy. Is that true?" asked Tressa.

"Why yes. Some do in order to prove their devotion to the gods, but there are others that do not," Ophilia answered.

"How about you? Did you make that kind of vow too?"

She felt heat touch her cheeks at the mere mention of the question. She should have known that Tressa would have asked that. She glanced around the table, hoping for someone to help change the subject.

To her dismay, some only looked at her with some degree of interest while the others were focused on the thought of their incoming dinner. She turned back to Tressa, noticing her eyes glisten with innocent curiosity, and sighed in defeat. 

"No, I have not made such a vow myself. I do hope for a family of my own one day," she said, hoping her face was not as red as she imagined them to be.

"Well you should be careful then, Ophilia," Primrose said, leaning back in her chair. "I would not want anyone to take advantage of you in any way."

"She liketh more preoccupied with her own duties," H'aanit piped up with Linde purring in agreement. 

“Indeed. Our various misadventures on their own can leave anyone well engaged," Cyrus added, nodding his head at the thought.

Ophilia stumbled slightly when Tressa wrapped her arm around her. "Well thank goodness for the absence of romance then. Our cleric here is safe!"

She nodded slightly before finding her attention drawn towards someone else.

"I'm going to wash up," Therion called out, abruptly standing from his seat.

"Just don't take too long! Dinner will be ready soon," Alfyn shouted at him. 

The cleric only watched as Therion dismissively waved his hand, her eyes following him until he disappeared completely from sight. 

She felt her lips twisting into a wry smile. ' _Yes... thank goodness indeed._ '

* * *

To be perfectly honest, she never thought that much about her love life before, nor did anyone in her hometown really catch her eye. Lianna frequently told her that she was quite popular, but she never paid much attention to it. 

She believed she was content with her own religious duties, the company of her family, to her devotion to the Sacred Flames themselves.

...that is until she met Therion. 

He was the exact opposite of everything she stood for, a roguish thief through and through. As she traveled with him, she could see he was much more complex than that, seeing there was a noble heart hidden beneath that rough veneer.

She told herself that she should not think in that fashion. She was on a journey for the Church, for herself and family. As her companions put it, none of them had time for romance.

Once she reminded herself of that fact, she shook her head, proceeded towards the room, and opened the door. 

"Therion, we're all about to eat din-"

She felt all air rush out of her lungs and her face flush into a bright scarlet.

Therion did not say a word and only looked at her in surprise.

Half naked. Clearly shirtless. 

She stammered wildly, unable to gain control of her tongue, unsure where to settle her eyes. 

It wasn’t like she didn’t see already, the various scars that riddled his body, the lean sinews of his muscles...

"Ophilia?"

His voice snapped her out of her lewd thoughts. He only stood there, brow quirked in question, staring curiously at her.

' _And here I am. Gawking like a silly goldfish..._ ' 

She prayed for any of the 12 gods to smite her down than to allow her to endure this embarrassment any longer. 

"I'm sorry! I should have knocked! I'll leave!" she spat out quickly, slapping her hands over her overheated cheeks and readying herself to run out.

"Wait."

She froze in her place, noticing that all of a sudden he was standing close, much closer than she expected. She forced her gaze to meet his, but found that to be her undoing. His eyes were so steely, so unreadable, yet so oddly captivating all at the same time.

She swallowed a heavy lump, allowing him to gently remove her hands from her cheeks and hold them in his own.

He seemed hesitant for a moment, considering something, before finally saying, "If you're uncomfortable, you can tell me to stop."

Before she could open her mouth to question him, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

At that moment, her mind fell completely blank. All she could feel was warmth - emanating from her chest as her heart hammered against her ribcage, his hands as they wrapped around her waist to pull her closer, his mouth as he deepened the kiss. It felt like she was melting. Her legs wobbled, and she wrapped her arms around his neck in order to support herself.

Finally, when they separated, they both noticed the other panting. An almost tender silence manifested itself. Neither of them took a step away from one another, her eyes locked onto his. 

"Was that okay?"

It took her a moment to process the question. He waited patiently, his gaze gentle, inquiring.

Her response almost came out as a whisper. "Yes. Yes, it was."

He blinked, as if surprised, before his features softened.

As she noticed him lean forward once again, her own eyes fluttering to a close, they were interrupted by a loud squeak.

They turned their heads towards the noise to see Tressa standing in the doorway, her mouth slack, her face a beet red.

"I-I-I wanted to check on you guys since Ophilia was taking awhile. Dinner is ready after all." She dropped her gaze and fiddled with her fingers. "Though I guess you guys were busy doing something else I see..."

At the implication, they both glanced back at one another before separating completely.

"No, it wasn't what you think!"

Though it seemed that Tressa had more than enough. The merchant rushed off, muttering under her breath how she needed something to cleanse her mind of such a sight.

Ophilia groaned and slapped her hands over her face. "Oh dear. That was mortifying."

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Didn't mean to embarrass you." 

She glanced over to him, comforted by the fact that his own cheeks were stained a light pink. 

He cleared his throat, turned to look at the wall, and added casually, "Though after dinner, would you like me to give you company?"

She blinked, completely caught off guard. 

He shuffled slightly in his place, occasionally stealing glances back over to her. "Just so we could continue where we left off... uninterrupted?"

' _Continue... uninterrupted?_ '

Ophilia was not sure her poor heart could take any more, her mind frazzled by the sheer implication.

Just before she could request clarification, she felt someone grab hold of her arm.

"I'm actually sharing a room with our lovely priestess so there is no need for your sort of company," Primrose said, her eyes narrowing at him, protectively pulling Ophilia away from the thief. "So I will kindly request you keep a respectable distance from her."

Therion's brow twitched, evenly meeting Primose's fierce glare, before releasing an annoyed breath. "We should go eat dinner."

"After you clothe yourself." She scrutinized him with a critical eye before releasing a sharp breath. "Let's go, Ophilia."

Ophilia gasped as Primrose firmly pulled her out of the room and kept her close to her side.

"Honestly, I'm glad that I decided to follow Tressa. Who knows what sort of unruly state you two would have been if I didn’t rescue you?"

"It's all a misunderstanding. It was nothing like that," she sheepishly said though flinched at the dancer's stern stare. 

‘ _I’m not sure if Therion is just skilled in seduction or if Ophilia is just too innocent,'_ Primrose thought to herself, studying Ophilia's still flushed cheeks, noting how her hand was placed over her chest.

Even though she found the idea of a romance between their party's thief and cleric quite adorable, she knew Ophilia was still quite naive, withholding a purity Primrose sincerely wished to protect.

And if that wanton thief wished to ravish their sweet cleric... well, he would have to go through Primrose first. 

**Author's Note:**

> in reality, I think that Primrose is supportive of her companions finding love with one another. On the same token, I can also see her being pretty protective of their virtues (especially someone like Ophilia who is so sweet, keep her pure) lol


End file.
